Method of and apparatus for mixing powdered material



e SUV QQQ P. Gol-:EELS

METHOD oF AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING PowDEnzn llAmIAL Filed Jan. 3, i929 atented Aug. 19, 1930 UNITED sTaTEsl PATENT OFFICE PAUL GOEBELS, F DESSAU, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM G. POLYSIUS, AKTIEN- i GESELLSCHAFT, OF DESSAU, GERMANY METHOD 01? AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING APOWDEIRED MATERIAL Application led January 3; 1929, Serial No. 330,081, and in Germany December 9, 1927.

upon mix the different materials with each other. Plants of this kind are very expensive, require considerable power for operating the same and in addition to this the expenses for maintenance ot' the plant are relatively very high.

The method of and apparatus for mixing powdered materials according to my invention entirely avoids these disadvantages. Principally my invention consists therein that emptying of the several containers or bins and mixing of the several materials contained therein is accomplished by means of compressed air. More particularly, my invention consists in connecting the several containers or bins operating under pressure by means of pipe systems which serve for conveying the material and for introducing `compressed air into said containers. In this manner the contents of a part of the contain- 30 ers may be mixed with the contents oi' another part of the containers by the aid of proper adjusting means and the material thus mixed may thereupon be properly conveyed as desired.

'lhe accompanying drawing shows a bin comprising a plurality of containers which are operated according to my invention, Fig. 1 being a front view and Fig. 2 a top view of said bin. In. the drawing the several containers forming part of the bin are desighated by the reference numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Thesecontainers, which may consist of sheet-metal or re-inforced concrete, are closed up completely air-tight. Through a discharge device 9 provided at the under end each container may be connected to the conveying pipe 11 by opening the valves 10. The discharge devices 9 may be of any desired kind and may for instance consist of double worms, compartment-wheels or plain supply-aprons. By reversing the valves 12 and 13 the conveying conduit 11 may now be connected at will with each of the containers l, 2, 8, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8. By means of the connecting pipe 17 with the valve 19 therein every desired container may thus.

be put under pressure during conveying the material, by utilizing the back pressure which will arise in said conveying conduit. Simultaneously every 'individual container may be put under pressure by means of the pressure-air conduit 15 with the valvesy 16 connected thereto.

'lhe mode of operation of a bin constructed according to my invention, for instance, will be as follows: If it is desired to mix the material in the containers 1, 3 and 6 with the material in the containers 4, 5 and 8, the material contained in the containers 1, 3 and 6 is loosened or an emulsion made thereof by means of compressed air or any other known devices. The apparatus used for this purpose is of well-known construction and therefore not indicated in the drawing. After the structure ot' the material has been loosened as indicated, the said three containers are connected with thepressure-air conduit by opening the valves 16 and are now put under pressure from above. Thereupon the valves l0 are opened, thus establishing a connection between the distributing device 9 and the conveying pipe 11, whereupon after closing the valve 2() and opening the valve 21 the contents of the three containers 1, 3 and 6 are pressed into the containers 4, 5 and 8. The material will now uniformly flow out of the containers l, 3 and 6 into .the containers 4, 5 and 8. After completed mixing of the contents ot' the containers the respective valves are againclosed andthe containers 4, 5 and 8 which now contain the completely mixed material are properly connected tothe conveying pipe' 1l and after closing the valve 21 and opening the valve 20 are conveyed through the conveying conduit 18 towards the place Where thematerial is desired to be used.

I claim:

. 1. A method of mixing powdered materials stored in separate containers which comprise applying air under pressure to one of said containers to force a portion of the material therein into a second container to mix the materials, andthereafter opening the second container to permit the air under pressure therein to discharge the mixed materials therefrom.

2. Apparatus for mixing powdered mate- .rial comprising a plurality of containers in which the material is stored, means for introducing air under pressure to one of said containers, means for establishing connection between said container and a second container to cause the material to be transferred to said second container and be mixed with the material therein, and means for conveying the material thus mixed to some place of use.

3. The method of mixing powdered materials stored in separate containers, which comprises applying air under pressure to a plurality of said containers to force a portion of the material therein into a second group of containers to mix the materials, and thereafter opening the second group of containers to discharge the mixed materials therefrom.

4. Apparatus :for mixing powdered material comprising a plurality of containers in which the material is stored, means for introducing air under pressure to one of said containers, means for establishing connection between said container and a second container to cause the material to be transferred to said second container and be mixed with the material therein, a conduit through which air under pressure may be caused to flowoperatively associated with said second container and withdrawing the mixed material therefrom and conveying the same to some place of use, and means for equalizing the pressure of the air within said conduit and within said second container.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

.. PAUL GOEBELS. 

